The Power of Antioxidants

Author: Jerry Ryan, PhD

Article:
Our bodies are designed to take care of themselves. There are
systems within it for providing nutrients and for excreting the
toxins. Antioxidants play a major role in removing these toxins
from our body. Since they are so important in ridding us of
harmful waste, it is vital that we have some knowledge of what
antioxidants are, how they work and what kinds of foods and
dietary supplements can provide us with their health benefits.

Antioxidants are a group of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that
work to protect our bodies from forming free radicals. Free
radicals in the body are atoms or groups of atoms that cause
cell damage which impairs the immune system. Free radicals may
be formed in a number of different ways. They can be caused by
any number of bodily functions even the process of breaking down
fat cells into usable energy.

To better explain this, our bodies are similar to a car. Each
needs the proper fuel to perform to its peak. But just like the
engines in our cars, our bodies don't burn the fuel efficiently.
This poor conversion results in exhaust fumes in our car and
free radicals in our body.

Most commonly, the free radicals are missing an electron due to
some metabolic process. The negative atom attempts to correct
itself by pulling an electron from another cell. The damage
begins at that point and a chain of cells pulling electrons from
one another starts to form. As a result, this can lead to
infections and degenerative diseases such as heart disease,
diabetes and cancer. In addition, recent studies have shown that
damage caused by free radicals may be a major factor in the
aging process.

Other causes are cigarette smoke (even second-hand),
overexposure to the sun, exposure to radiation as well as
inhaling or ingesting any of the pollutants common in our air,
water and food chain.

Luckily, our bodies have a built-in weapon against this enemy.
Free radical scavengers, such as enzymes, are naturally produced
in the body. They seek out and bond with the free radicals. This
bonding neutralizes the destructive action that occurs in the
cells.

However, with the increased levels of toxins that we are
subjected to daily, the antioxidants that the body supplies may
fall short of the demand. Therefore, we might consider changing
our diet to increase certain foods and taking nutritional
supplements that will provide additional antioxidants for the
body to use.

As you have probably read in many popular magazines, vitamins A,
C and E have been found to act as very good antioxidants. Foods
that offer high levels of antioxidants are fruits and
vegetables, particularly the yellow-green vegetables. Other
herbs and supplements that serve as antioxidants are:
Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Bilberry, Chokeberry, Elderberry, Coenzyme
Q10, Cysteine, Glyconutrients, Ginkgo Biloba, Glutathione, Grape
Seed Extract, Green Tea, Pine Bark Extract, Oligomeric
Proanthocyanidins, Pycnogenol, Melatonin, Selenium, Magnesium,
Superoxide Dismutase, Beta-Carotene and Zinc.

For more information on natural health topics discussed in this
article or to suggest ideas for an article, you may contact me
through my website.

About the author:
Jerry Ryan, Ph.D. is a Natural Health Coach who teaches
individuals and group classes on the scientifically documented
benefits of natural health techniques. He is also an
internationally published author and has been a guest speaker at
such places as NIKE World Headquarters. For more information,
his website is href="http://www.JerryRyanPhD.com">http://www.JerryRyanPhD.com